


The arcade

by nemo0



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 09:27:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21443956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nemo0/pseuds/nemo0
Summary: Richie loved the arcade. Especially he loved playing Street Fighter. He could spend hours upon hours playing it. Arcade was his second favourite place to escape to when life got too much, first being the clubhouse. On that note, Richie will never return to the arcade.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 1
Kudos: 129





	The arcade

Richie loved the arcade. Especially he loved playing Street Fighter. He could spend hours upon hours playing it. Arcade was his second favourite place to escape to when life got too much, first being the clubhouse. On that note, Richie will never return to the arcade.

You see, Richie had made a mistake. A huge mistake. He hadn’t even meant it like that. The boy had just been so nice, and he liked playing Street Fighter with him, he really was a good player. So, yeah, maybe Richie had over-stepped a line, and the price he was now paying was too high.

The first incident with Bowers had happened before Pennywise was defeated. The god damned clown was now gone, and Bowers was behind bars, a year had already passed, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t other monsters lurking in the corners, murderous eyes following him, watching his every move. It was exhausting, constantly having to hide a secret like that. He often felt like was suffocating. And it was getting harder every day, since the person to whom all of his mess of feelings were directed at was his best friend.

After Pennywise, the losers gang had gotten closer; after all you can’t go through life altering experience and don’t come out different. Things like that change people. But not like him and Eddie. They had gotten inseparable, clinging to each other for their dear life. Something truly had changed, because sure, they were close before, but never like this. And these changes constantly had Richie up late at night, wondering, longing, yearning.

Anyway, after the first incident, he had been reluctant to return to the arcade. But not always the clubhouse could provide him with enough safety as he’d like. Usually somebody already was there, or simply that place carried too many memories, that didn’t clear his mind, but clouded it. And really, just wandering around a small place like Derry can get boring. So, after taking a deep breath, he finally went to the arcade.

And the first few times it was fine, it was good being back here, not thinking about anything, but the game. He even started to forget all about Bowers. Until today.

It wasn’t even Bowers hang, but another group of teenagers from school. “Hey, is that Richie Tozier? Isn’t that the faggot one?” Is how it started. The whole gang roared in laughter. Richie had tried to ignore it. Don’t listen, don’t replay, just suck it up and deal with it later. But the insults just kept coming. One of the teenagers pushed Richie and that was the final straw. Richie punched the guy who had done it square on the face. “What the fuck?! The fairy can punch? Let’s see how well he does it!” And well, in short that’s how Richie gained a black eye, bleeding nose, and another hole in his heart.

He ran out of the arcade and realized he had nowhere to go. He didn’t want to go home, since his parents had been drinking again, didn’t want to go to the clubhouse because that was way too painful of a place, and he didn’t want to worry the other losers.

Tears had welled up in the corners of his eyes and his knees suddenly questioned if they can hold his weight. But then-

“Richie?”

Oh, that voice. That god dammed voice, somehow always being able to calm him down no matter what. Richie lifted his eyes and saw Eddie pacing towards him, rolling along his bike.

“Richie, what the hell happened?!” He shouted, voice full of worry as he dropped his bike on the ground. Richie watched it collide with the ground and make a harsh sound. He winced. Then, he felt hands on his shoulders.

He looked up, into Eddie’s eyes, his beautiful, big, brown eyes, and his lip quivered. “Can we go? Like, anywhere, take me anywhere that’s not the clubhouse or our houses. Please.” He managed to get out.

Eddie nodded, while grabbing his bike. “Of course. You can get on the back of my bike.”

They got on Eddies bike and he took off. Richie wasn’t really paying attention where they were going. He had put his hands around Eddie’s waist and his head against his back. He inhaled and closed his eyes as the familiar smell of fresh laundry detergent and vanilla hit his nose. It made him feel safe, even though this act alone was something of a crime in a place like this.

Richie didn’t even notice that they had arrived, when Eddie abruptly stopped.

“Rich? We’re here.” Eddie said gently.

Richie opened his eyes and turns out they were at the quarry. He got off Eddies bike. “No offence Eds, but I’m not exactly in the mood to swim.”

“We’re not swimming. I just figured you wanted a quiet place, and well, quarry usually is deserted so, yeah. Also, when you feel bad, you usually like to lock yourself indoors, and well, I just thought maybe fresh air would be good for you. We can leave if you want though.” He had gotten off his bike as well and now as shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

Richies heart might have melted a little bit at that. “No, it’s fine. Look at you knowing all about my unhealthy coping mechanisms.” He joked, but it came out weak and strained.

Eddie rolled his eyes and took Richies wrist. “Come on, dumbass.”

He took them to the very edge of the cliff and sat down, hanging his legs off the edge. Richie plopped down next to him, close enough that their shoulders and knees touched. He let himself shut it eyes for a while and let the gentle breeze and faint sun rays hit his face.

“Do you want to tell me what happened? And can I clean your face? Because, no offence, but it looks horrible.” Eddie had already dug through his fanny pack, and found some wipes and disinfectant.

Richie looked at Eddie, nodded, but stayed quiet. He closed his eyes once again and soon felt gentle hands on his face, but no sting yet. He opened his eyes and saw Eddie looking at him with something in his eyes that made Richie’s breath get caught in his throat.

“This is going to sting.” Eddie whispered, one hand tenderly stroking Richie’s cheek, and finally started cleaning his face with the other. Richie winced, but didn’t say anything.

Eddie worked in silence aswell, and only when he was on his third wipe, Richie finally managed to say “Some teenagers beat me up.”

Eddie’s hand stopped. “What? Who? Why?” The movement on Richie’s face continued, but a bit more firmly.

“I didn’t know them, but it was because-because I’m-I-I- fuck! Why can’t I just say it!” He opened his eyes and looked down on the water below, turning his face away from Eddie.

“Hey. Look at me, Rich. Look at me.” Eddie guided his face back to facing him. “It’s okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

“No, I can’t, because then you’ll hate me, you’ll think I’m disgusting, you’ll-”

Eddie didn’t even let him finish. “I would never hate you, Richie. Yeah, at times I think you’re disgusting, but that’s because you eat peanut butter sandwiches with pickles, and throw your dirty clothes at me. I promise you, whatever it is, I’m not going to hate you.”

The sincerity in Eddie’s voice and eyes got Richie done for. “I’m- I’m gay, Eds.” He shakily exhaled, and bit his lip. This was it, this was the moment Eddie finally saw him for who he truly was. And just because the damage had already been done and he had nothing to lose anymore he continued. “And I’m in love with you. I’m in love you so much it hurts.”

There was a long silence. Eddie’s eyes were no longer on his, staring somewhere in the distance. Richie waited for the moment where it finally settled in, where Eddie would leave him, call him a disgusting, dirty fa-

But then, suddenly Eddie’s eyes were back on his. “Wow. I can’t believe it took us for you to get beaten up to admit this.”

“Us..?” But he didn’t have much time to wonder about that, because all of a sudden warm pair of lips where on his. He froze for a second but quickly recovered, kissing back. Eddies hands slid down to his neck, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He let his hands find Eddie’s face.

At first it was gentle and clumsy, but both quickly got the hang of it and it grew more passionate, letting the pure longing for each other bleed into the kiss. Eddie bit his lip and as Richie opened his mouth, he slipped his tongue inside. And oh, that was new. But he welcomed it nonetheless.

Eventually they pulled apart, looking into each others eyes.

“So you want to tell me.. that you like me too?” He couldn’t help but ask. It sounded dumb even to his own ears but he needed to know. He needed to hear it being said by Eddie.

“Yes, Richie, I like you too. Lov-love you, in fact.” A slight blush was now covering his cheeks.

“Aw, Eddie-spaghetti has a crush on little ol’ me? Oh how embarrassing!” Richie exclaimed, doing one of his weird voices.

Eddie rolled his eyes and fixed Richie with an 'are you fucking kidding me’ stare. “I’m going to murder you in your sleep.”

“Does that mean you’ll be in my room, in my bed, at night? In that case, oh, what a way to go!” He dramatically put a hand over his heart and fell back to the ground.

Eddie couldn’t help but chuckle. What a dumbass, he thought. But now – he’s my dumbass. He smiled at that and leaned down to kiss Richie once again.


End file.
